The present invention relates to a device for replacing lost or broken buttons commonly used to attach two pieces of fabric or other materials and a method of using same. The device of the present invention has particular use in the replacement of lost or broken buttons on garments such as shirts, jackets, coats, pants, and the like.
Perhaps the earliest form of attachment for clothing involved the use of a button sewed or otherwise attached to an edge of the fabric, which is oriented in alignment with a button hole positioned at an opposing fabric location. This button/button hole form of attachment has been applied to virtually every form of clothing, as well as many non-clothing items.
Often, buttons become damaged or lost as a result of cleaning the clothing to which they are affixed or a result of wear. Additionally, the threads used to hold the buttons on the clothing becomes damaged and broken during use. Thus, there has been, and there remains, a need to replace broken or lost buttons.
A number of button replacement devices are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,160 to Goodrich et al. illustrates one such device. The device is actually a device for converting a button/button hole attachment combination in a shirt, blouse, or the like to a pressure contact system which avoids the need of manipulating a small button through a small button hole. The device includes a first sheet of flexible material having an exposed side and an attachment side, where the attachment side includes adhesive means for attachment to a button location on the shirt or blouse. A second sheet of flexible material, including an exposed side and an attachment side, includes a button coupled at its attachment side to facilitate positioning at a button hole corresponding to the button location means for the first sheet of material and located on the shirt or blouse. The respective exposed sides of the first and second sheets of material include hook/loop attachment means which are capable of being joined on contact and separated by merely pulling the respective pieces apart.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,268 to Keyaki also relates to a button substitute fastening device. The device comprises a generally C-cross-section support body molded of thermoplastic synthetic resin and having substantially parallel first and second plates integrally joined at their one ends by a connecting portion; a multiplicity of engaging elements standing upright on an outer surface of the second plate and adapted for engagement with engaging elements of the companion surface fastener member; the first plate having on its outer surface an arbitrary ornamental design; and a pull-up tab integrally projecting outwardly from the connector in parallel to the first and second plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,137 to Cooper illustrates a shirt construction having an adjustable collar opening. The shirt has first and second strips of material secured to the neck band beneath the collar on opposite sides of the frontal opening. A third strip of material is pivotally attached to the first strip and has a surface of a hook or a pile type material, the first and second strips being of the other type. The size and arrangement of the strips is such that the third strip may be superposed with and releasably adhered to the opposing surface of the first strip, concealed beneath the collar when the latter is worn in the open condition, or turned 180 degrees about its pivotal mounting to extend across the frontal opening and adhered to the opposing surface of the second strip to close the frontal opening in the collar area at a desired width between a predetermined maximum and minimum. The collar fold defining the neck opening is preferably higher than the portion of the neck band between the collar wings so that a necktie may be worn with the upper edge of the knot somewhat below the collar fold without exposing the neck band.
Despite the existence of these button replacement devices, there remains a need for other button replacement devices which are compact, easy to store, and easy to use.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a button replacement or securing device which can be used to secure pieces of clothing or other items together.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a button replacement or securing device as above which is inexpensive and does not require much effort to use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of replacing a button which is easy to perform.
The foregoing objects are attained by the button replacement or securing device and the method of the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, a device for securing two parts of a garment together where a first part of said garment contains a button hole comprises a base member having an attachment side and a fastening side and a connecting member secured to the base member. The connecting member is sized to fit through the button hole in the first part, while the base member is adapted to be attached to a second part of the garment. A free end of the connecting member passes through the button hole and is attached to the base member so as to form a loop which holds the first part of the garment to the second part of the garment. As can be seen from the foregoing description, the securing device of the present invention has particular utility as a button replacement device.
A method for replacing a button in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of providing a button replacement device comprising a base member and a connecting member joined to the base member; attaching the base member to a first piece of material; passing the connecting member through a hole in a second piece of material; and affixing a free end portion of the connecting member to the base member so as to secure the second piece of material to the first piece of material.
The present invention also relates to a button replacement kit comprising a plurality of button replacement devices. Each of the button replacement devices comprises a base member and a connecting member joined to the base member. Each base member has an adhesive layer and a removable cover positioned over the adhesive layer. Each connecting member is sized to pass through a button hole.